Photon Sciences

Light as a Discovery Tool

Brookhaven conducts scientific research using photons—particles of
light—to probe the structure and makeup of materials. The
National Synchrotron
Light Source II (NSLS-II) uses electrons accelerated along a high-tech
ring at nearly
the speed of light to create beams of light in the x-ray, ultraviolet,
and infrared wavelengths, resulting in a kind of giant microscope.

Revealing the Structure of Matter

Scientists use beam lines at NSLS-II to
probe the electronic and atomic structures of
materials, analyze very small samples, or map surfaces with atomic-scale
sensitivity. Researchers at NSLS-II use an array of sophisticated imaging
techniques to get highly detailed “pictures” of a wide range of
materials, from biological molecules to advanced electronics.

Advancing Energy Technology

Major advances in energy technologies — such as using hydrogen
as an energy source, the implementation of solar energy, or the
development of the next generation of nuclear power systems — require scientific breakthroughs in developing new materials with
advanced properties. NSLS-II is a non-destructive tool that gives
researchers the ability to “watch” the system dynamics of a wide range
of materials with nanoscale resolution — on the order of just billionths of a
meter.

About National Synchrotron Light Source II

To delve even deeper into the nanoworld, Brookhaven built NSLS-II,
a light source with exquisite sensitivity and x-rays
10,000 times brighter than the
original NSLS, a
groundbreaking synchrotron operated at Brookhaven from 1982
to 2014. NSLS-II allows the characterization of the atomic and
electronic structure, chemical composition, and magnetic properties of
materials in a wide range of temperatures and environments. NSLS-II will help researchers explore solutions to the grand energy
challenges faced by the nation, and open up new regimes of scientific
discovery that will pave the way to discoveries in physics, chemistry,
and biology — advances that will ultimately enhance national security
and help drive the development of abundant, safe, and clean energy
technologies.

One of ten national laboratories overseen and primarily funded by the Office of Science of the
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Brookhaven National Laboratory conducts research in the physical,
biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technologies and national security.
Brookhaven Lab also builds and operates major scientific facilities available to university, industry
and government researchers. Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE's Office of Science by Brookhaven
Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by the Research Foundation for the State
University of New York on behalf of Stony Brook University, the largest academic user of Laboratory
facilities, and Battelle, a nonprofit applied science and technology organization.